Rep. Tina Orwall Confirmed as Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore Monday

Rep. Tina Orwall (D-33), was officially confirmed as Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore by the full House of Representatives during Monday’s opening session (Jan. 14) in Olympia.

“It is an incredible honor to be elected by my peers as Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore,” Orwall said. “I will work hard to ensure the process is fair and all voices are heard.”

Orwall has served as Assistant Speaker Pro Tempore for the past two years. Her new Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore title means that she’ll get to preside over sessions of the House as needed when the Speaker Pro Tempore and the Speaker of the House are unable to do so. As active Speaker she will be tasked with keeping the process flowing as smoothly as possible when lawmakers are debating proposals on the floor.

This biennium Orwall will continue serving on the powerful Rules Committee, which is where all bills are subject to consideration for a House floor vote. And she will also keep her seat in the Judiciary Committee, which oversees a wide variety of issues relating to family, civil, commercial and criminal law, as well as Consumer Protection Act remedies and processes, and courts and judicial administration.

The Des Moines Democrat will takes on new responsibilities serving on the Education Committee, which deals entirely with issues relating to kindergarten through twelfth grade, and on the newly formed Government Operations & Elections Committee.

Last month, several policy committees were restructured in preparation for the 2013 session, narrowing the focus of some and expanding the duties of others. Such is the case of the new Government Operations & Elections Committee, which will look at issues relating to the processes of state government and issues relating to elections, campaign finance, public disclosure and ethics.